What if, for more than fifty years, you worked hard to research the New Testament without denominational filters? And then what if you were to organize that research by subject matter? Well, that is what I have done in these two volumes of "Blueprint for a Revolution: Building Upon ALL of The New Testament." What follows is a catechism of apostolic, true Christianity. It is a body of teaching that flows out of taking all New Testament teachings in a grammatically natural and literal sense, the way we instinctively read ...
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What if, for more than fifty years, you worked hard to research the New Testament without denominational filters? And then what if you were to organize that research by subject matter? Well, that is what I have done in these two volumes of "Blueprint for a Revolution: Building Upon ALL of The New Testament." What follows is a catechism of apostolic, true Christianity. It is a body of teaching that flows out of taking all New Testament teachings in a grammatically natural and literal sense, the way we instinctively read all serious literature. Testimony from the earliest Christians is also presented, demonstrating that what those earliest churches taught and lived out was typically identical to what you conclude when you take the New Testament doctrines, commands and promises in that same sense. In those many years of research, I have never come upon a single church or book that provides a specific set of principles (a.k.a., "exegetical method") by which all Biblical passages are to be interpreted, and that has then set about to consistently surrender to those principles in all the subjects that it covers. My claim, therefore, is that this is the only such catechetical work that does just that. The importance of this book does not lie mainly in the specific conclusions of any individual chapter, and certainly not in any of my literally skills at presenting those conclusions. It lies largely in the juxtaposition of teachings that are often thought to be in conflict with each other only because the traditions that hold to the beliefs in those chapters have been in conflict with each other. It is my contention that what Jesus considered to be "my church" is what is taught within these chapters, the church that is an incarnation of His "kingdom of God"!
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I have read both volumes of the "Blueprint for a Revolution: Building Upon ALL of the New Testament." The amount of work that has gone into these two volumes is rather amazing: the author describes them as covering a period of about fifty years of serious academic studies, discussions and personal experience in and with numerous denominations of Christian churches and theological traditions.
His expressed motivation is to serve as a foundation for the reunion of the those divided denominations and theological traditions within Christendom. And he seems to have listened rather deeply to the claims of such normally "mutually exclusive" traditions as Anabaptists, Anglican, Church of Christ, Calvinists, Fundamentalists, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostals.
He declares that he is not writing primarily as a scholar for fellow scholars, but more as a pastor/teacher for other pastors, teachers and decision makers at the congregational and denominational levels. However, there are several issues that show signs of original significant scholarship. His conclusions about the meaning and consequences of "inspiration" Biblical predestination and election; how we can be "morally certain" that evolution is false without having any scientific background; the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist; and how the apostolic and post-apostolic churches dealt with the baptism of pagans who had been divorced and remarried before yielding to Christ are among those issues that come to mind.
Toward the end of each volume the author has a section called "What Have We Resolved In The Blueprint?"
He asserts that, "by simply accepting and building upon the grammatically natural and literal sense of all of the New Testament passages, in the course of these two volumes we have been able to resolve the following, among other things."
* What parts, if any, of the Old Testament still apply today?
* When are you really "saved" according to the apostles?
* Is baptism really a part of what God means by "salvation"?
* Does God want everything described in the Book of Acts to exist in our day?
* Does God want the Holy Spirit to come upon us experientially, as in the Day of Pentecost?
* Are tongues, prophecy and other gifts of the Holy Spirit being offered by God in our day?
* What about sharing our possessions with one another, and living together as Christians?
* Is the teaching of Evolution inherently evil, or could God have used evolution to create us?
* How can you be certain that Evolution is not true, without having scientific training?
* What is the Biblical version of Predestination and "Free Will"?
* What is the meaning of, and authority behind, the doctrine of the Trinity?
* What did the apostles do if someone had been remarried before becoming an apostolic Christian?
* What attitude am I to have when my spouse desires sexual intercourse?
* What does God think about masturbation?
* Does the bread and wine really become the body and blood of Jesus?
* How can Satan still be the "god of this world," if Jesus came to destroy his works?
* Do we live forever in"heaven" or a glorified earth?
* Is there going to be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture?
* Do I really have to "turn the other cheek" and "resist not him who is evil"?
* Can you follow Jesus and be a soldier? A judge? A president?
* What does God think about Christians voting and holding political office?
* What about possible demonic influence upon apostolic Christians?
* Does God cause hurricanes and floods? If so, why?
* Does the way we structure our churches and ministries really matter to God? If so, how should they be structured?
* Are we still obligated by God to obey New Testament "details," such as head coverings, eating blood sausages, et cetera?
* What about women's ministry and women's "silence" in the church?
* Does the New Testament teach celibacy as a vow and important ministry in the church?
* How did the church's alliance with the Constantinian empire lead to the horrible persecution of Christians in the Persian empire to the east?
By "building upon the grammatically natural and literal sense of all of the New Testament passages, he refers to Chapter One in Volume One that deals with the inspiration and interpretive principles to be used with the Scriptures. If you believe in the content of that chapter, the conclusions in all the other issues discussed follow quite naturally and convincingly. I think that he is correct, and that the world of Christians needs to be both challenged and edified by his volumes.
The "Blueprint" is neither a quick nor easy read, but not because of some technical difficulties or writing style. He describes it as a "catechism," meaning that it covers the "soup to nuts" of almost all Christian doctrines, experienced anointing, disciplines and structures. His own description of its significance provides a good end of this review:
"The importance of this book does not lie in the specific content of any individual chapter, and certainly not in the inspiration or depth of scholarship in any one chapter. It lies partially in the juxtaposition - the joining together - of teachings that are often thought to be in conflict with each other because the traditions that hold to those teachings have been in conflict with each other. And, partially, its importance lies in my conviction that any congregation that builds upon those chapters will be making a quantum leap in the direction of that sacred movement that Jesus brought to the earth!"
rrk, M.Div.
Shawn
Sep 5, 2021
A Challenging, Yet Highly Rewarding Read!
his work is difficult to categorize, yet well worth reading. It sometimes reads like a systematic theology, yet reflects a personal flair and urgency often missing from more scholarly works. If you need a little background for a sermon this is a great first stop. The authorÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s thoughts, informed by his extensive reading of Church Fathers, gets the job done nicely. However, to really appreciate the fruit of his lifeÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s passion and expand your idea of what the Church could be, the reader must begin with a mind willing to detach itself from denominational dogma. He asserts Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?"Godly thinking is surrendered thinking,Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?Â? and asks readers to accept what the Bible says even when our reading and understanding of what we read departs from what we have always heard. For most of us that is no easy task. Ask yourself the question that started it all, Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?"Why are there so many different brands of Christianity and are any of them true to the first century Church?Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?Â? This is certainly not a Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?"feel goodÃ?¢ââ??¬Ã?Â? book, but it rewards anyone willing to allow closely held articles of faith to be challenged by both history and Scripture. I did not always agree with the author, but it did change my thinking on some significant doctrinal positions. And that was worth the price of the book.
Gary
Aug 31, 2021
Review of an important book
Reed Merino has done a great service to the Kingdom of God by writing Blueprint for A Revolution. His exegetical principles give a fresh look at the Scriptures and result in a faithful presentation of what the gospel actually teaches. Much of the diversity of denominations stem from efforts to systematize the teachings of Scripture, and favoring certain pet doctrines results in a distortion of other Scriptures. Reed avoids this pitfall by allowing the Scriptures to speak for themselves. He utilizes the original languages, and where there is ambiguity, he refers to the disciples of the Apostles to settle the matter. He doesn't bog the writer down with complicated lingo. His writing is clear and easy to understand.
